Will Bobby Jindal show us how Republicans deal with a Hurricane hitting New Orleans?

Question

It's an interesting coincidence that another massive Category 5 hurricane is due to hit New Orleans... right during the week of the Republican National Convention.

Bobby Jindal in now in place as governor, and he's a Republican. Will he be able to demonstrate a sharp contrast between Democrat controlled government and Republican controlled government simply by doing his job in response to this hurricane? And will that give a boost to Republicans just exactly at the time when they need it?

Quite a fascinating coincidence if it happens.

Bush was criticized for not taking over the governorship and mayorship duties 5 days before Katrina. I guess he's taking a chance by not doing that this time around... but probably because he trusts Bobby Jindal isn't as inept as his predecessor.

But we shall see...

Answer 1

I sincerely hope Jindal won't have to demonstrate his competence in that way, but it looks like he might. Everything I've heard about Jindal I like, but I have to think that a hurricane during the Republican campaign would be more of a negative, regardless of how he handles it. It will simply open old wounds from Katrina which won't serve the Republicans well... not to mention those in this one's path.

Let's hope we don't have to find out.

Answer 2

There are already 700 buses ready.

What do you think? I'm a democrat but I will admit I'd much prefer a republican local government(and a democrat national).

Answer 3

I'm certain Jindal would do a much better job.  Kathleen Blanco was/is a moron, even by politician standards.  Just to show I'm unbiased, Senator Mary Landrieu (D) was awesome and looked like she was about to punch anyone that came near her when she was speaking in Congress the next week.  In contrast, Blanco was practically breaking down in tears along with fellow democrat, Aaron Broussard.  Of course, Landrieu comes from an old school democrat family, the type that actually used to get things done before our cities' goverments went to heck in this country.  

Answer 4

It would be hard to do worse than then-Governor "Blank Stare" Blanco(a Democrat) who TWICE refused to allow the disaster response to be federalized.  That would have allowed the immediate use of regular military units in the rescue effort and many lives would have been saved. I still find it amazing that people blame the federal government and/or Bush for the failures.

However, even the most dramatic forecasts show Gustav making landfall as a weak Category 3 storm, and MUCH, MUCH less powerful than Katrina.  

We don't control the weather, but a hit on New Orleans by a storm like Gustav would ultimately be a good thing for the city's confidence in the repaired levee system and might stop the hysteria that happens every time there is a hard rain.